Results from the 2015 Economic Impact Study to be presented at the MCOC Annual Meeting show more than $65 million in dividends and payouts to members of 52 credit unions, 26 utilities (electric and telecommunications co-ops) and seven major farm supply cooperatives. The positive impact cooperatives make to rural Montana…

The upcoming annual meeting begins on Monday, January 9, 2017 at 2:00 pm with the premiere of “Montana Co-ops 101”, a video production that features co-op leaders from across the state. This 10-minute introductory video is envisioned as the first in a series about forming, governing and operating cooperative businesses….

In October, Turner’s Shannon Van Voast was in our nation’s capital to tell the story of the little grocery cooperative that she, along with the help of her community, established in their tiny Montana farming town. Big Flat Grocery is the only food store in Turner, which is located in…

“Cooperatives Build” was the theme of this year’s National Co-op Month. In keeping with that theme, MCDC held a celebration on October 20 to honor co-ops and how they help to build successful businesses that both serve their communities and members throughout Montana. USDA Rural Development State Director John Walsh…

Housing leaders from across Montana and Idaho gathered at Fairmont Hot Springs in mid-September to learn how housing cooperatives could provide a new type of home ownership in rural communities. The workshop was sponsored by the Montana Cooperative Development Center (MCDC) in partnership with NeighborWorks Montana as the initial training…

UPDATE: The 11th Annual Co-op Nite at the Ball Park set a record for attendance. According to Great Falls Voyagers’ General Manager, Scott Reasoner, 2,494 baseball fans came to watch the Voyagers take on the Missoula Osprey at Centene Stadium on August 27. Reasoner also reports that Co-op Nite was…

Rural residents in Montana and neighboring states are in need of a broader array of housing options to address affordability concerns, rental shortages, the need for local senior housing, and a lack of entry-level opportunities for young people to build equity. Housing cooperatives may address these needs given their inherent…

Over the past two months MCDC has welcomed three new directors to its Board of Directors and teamed up with two new Cooperative Development Specialists from across Montana. The Montana Credit Union Network (MCUN) has appointed Relationship Manager Ranel Smith to represent the association on the MCDC Board. A Certified…

The Montana Cooperative Development Center (MCDC) and the Montana Council of Cooperatives are jointly sponsoring the third biennial study of the economic impact cooperatives have on Montana’s economy. This month, one-page survey forms were mailed out to all cooperatives in the state. Farm supply stores, telecommunication co-ops, and most other…

By Peter Johnson I Great Falls Tribune Many businesses in small towns are struggling because of static or declining population and the increasing tendency of area residents to shop elsewhere. To read more, click here